Greenhouse Gas and Air Pollutant Emissions from Alternatives for Woody Biomass
Mark Goodin Olympic Region Clean Air Agency (ORCAA) Natural Resources & Marine Waters Committee Update on Forest Biomass January 27, 2011
Nippon Proposed CHP (420 MMBtu, 20 MW) PT Paper Nippon Paper Statewide Pen Ply Interfor - PA
PA Hardwoods Resource •1/3 ton woody biomass debris per ton merchantable timber
Interfor - Forks
Allen Logging ADAGE Proposed PP (758 MMBtu, 65 MW) Solomon Proposed CHP (436 MMBtu, 31 MW) Simpson Lumber
Sierra Pacific Cogen Hoquiam Ply
Grays Harbor
Simpson Door
Pacific Veneer
Weyerhaeuser Raymond
Seaport Lumber
Existing Biomass Boilers
Compost Facilities Regional Air Quality •Maintenance of AAQSs •Regional Haze •Nuisance Smoke •Air Toxics
Project Completed
Final Report
Spreadsheet Calculator Tool
PM2.5: Emissions by Fate (See above for list of fates. Error bars indicate high and low estimates) 10,000
8,000
6,000
4,000
2,000
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g PM 2.5/ PM 2.5/ bdt g (2,000)
(4,000)
(6,000)
(8,000) 1a 1b 2a 2b 2c 3a 3b 3c 4b 4c 4d 4e 5a 6a 6b Biomass Fate 15 Options for Woody Biomass • On-site decomposition • On-site combustion • Mulch • Compost • Biochar • Fireplace • Certified Wood Stove • Pellet Stove • Industrial energy (displacing use of nat gas, diesel or residual oil) • Industrial energy (displacing existing wood fuel source) • Integrated gasification and combustion • Cogeneration • Pulp or paper feedstock • Ethanol by hydrolysis and fermentation (cellulosic) • Ethanol by gasification and synthesis
Post-harvest to Grave Analysis
merchantable timber thinning forest land replanting ? other
“post-harvest to woody biomass grave” analysis debris starts here
soil residential industrial industrial disposal liquid fuel amendment energy energy feedstock Net Emissions = System – Avoided + Alternate
disposal soil residentialresidential industrial industrial liquid fuel amendment energyenergy energy feedstock
System pelletization & energy + combustion in emissions Emissions materials pellet stove
wood stove furnace electric heat
Avoided and Alternate Use avoided emissions Emissions energy + * avoided materials emissions
alternate emissions
* Analysis assumes fuel wood is diverted to an alternate use System Emissions = Sum of process step and use emissions
disposal soil residentialresidential industrial industrial liquid fuel amendment energyenergy energy feedstock
Example: This study includes: Life-cycle energy + gathering 15 fates materials emissions • boundary • GHG emissions of pelletization & energy + processing CO2 emissions combustion in materials N2O pellet stove CH4 transport energy + emissions • Air Pollutant emissions materials CO pellet processing PM2.5 energy + emissions materials
energy + distribution emissions materials combustion in pellet stove emissions GHG Results for Fixed Market GHG Results for Elastic Market PM2.5 Results for Fixed Market PM2.5 Results for Elastic Market Summary of Key Findings
• GHGs are either reduced or at par with both standard practices for all alternatives (except residential woodstoves and fireplaces) • Pre-processing and transport emissions not significant • Any alternative to open burning reduces both GHGs and air pollutants (except residential woodstoves and fireplaces) • Using WB to supply bulking agent for new composting markets substantially reduces GHGs (elastic market) • Displacing existing fossil fuel use with WB for industrial energy substantially reduces GHGs (fixed market) • Biochar and Pulp feedstock are the alternatives that result in clear GHG reductions for all markets.
Key Finding
• Energy projects that utilizes woody biomass residuals from logging operations will likely result in GHG reductions – even without any biogenic carbon credit.